Monday, October 31, 2011

You wouldn't think the overhead noonday sun would cast as long a Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man as it does, as evidenced by today's picture of the Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man.

It is currently 72 degrees at 2 in the afternoon. This hills were heated to the high 60s when I hiked them today. Very pleasant.

I found no new tires on the Tandy Hills today. I did encounter one other human, but no other wildlife.

And no human caused flash floods blocking my way.

Changing the subject from the Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin man to the Shadow of the Thin Lady known as Elsie Hotpepper.

Last night Elsie Hotpepper asked me for help with some of her new attachments. Helping people with their attachments is really not a forte of mine. I did not feel like there was anything I could do to help. I like being helpful and don't like it when I am not helpful.

Tonight I will likely be suffering an ordeal due to being helpful. I'm going over to Miss Puerto Rico's to help her book a flight to her home island. This never goes well.

In a very rare coincidence, this morning, the temperature at my current location and my old location in Washington are the same.

45 degrees currently.

Speaking of my old hometown location, the town I grew up in, Burlington, Washington, this morning the Skagit Valley Herald had a little article about Burlington.

Growing up in little Burlington, currently with a population of less than 9,000, sort of warped my view of the world. Burlington is sort of a boom town, with sidewalks lining every street. And a very good library.

And then I moved to Fort Worth.

I did not know parts of America were 3rd world-like until I moved to Fort Worth.

Below is a blurb from this morning's article about my old hometown from the Skagit Valley Herald....

Take a drive down Burlington Boulevard, with its bumper-to-bumper weekend traffic and door-to-door strip malls, and it’s hard to imagine the Burlington of 40 years ago.

The major food processors that once dominated the landscape — Darigold, frozen food packers and canneries — are all gone. A shopping mall, big box stores and auto dealers have sprouted from farmland once bursting with crops.

Burlington has had to redefine itself many times over through the years, as technology, transportation and an ever-increasing population have transformed it from an agricultural hub to the shopping mecca of Skagit County.

Many Burlington residents say all that development — and the tax dollars it brings — is just fine with them. In fact, some would say it’s a reflection of two of the city’s biggest assets: its community cohesiveness and the foresight of its leaders.

For all of the town’s changes, the values of Burlington residents — what they want out of life and how hard they will work to get it — haven’t wavered, said Margaret Fleek, the city’s planning director.

“There’s no apathy in Burlington and there never has been,” said Fleek, who lives in Lyman. “People really care about their little town on the flats. ... It totally has its values intact regardless of what’s happening on the I-5 corridor.”

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Yes, I agree, I also found this photo of an underwater creature to be a bit unsettling. But, that is a human underwater, not some sort of big-headed spooky monster fish with spindly fins and pasty white scales.

"And last, but not least, the rarest of all sea creatures. It's the salt water Gar Fish."

That is Gar the Texan Nerd underwater, somewhere near the Cayman Islands, during the course of his monthly Caribbean cruise.

Apparently some of the tubing apparatus was additional equipment of the diabetic episode kit variety, needed in case Gar the Texan Nerd had one of his cases of the vapors, whilst in the deep sea.

Having experienced Gar the Texan Nerd having an extreme case of the vapors on dry land, I can not imagine such a thing happening underwater. There are no Burger Kings with Whoppers to the rescue underwater.

Heritage Park is also the location where I first learned that Gar the Texan Nerd had huge gaps in his education.

I learned this when I said this was the location of the original Fort Worth.

"Fort Worth was actually a fort?" asked the incredulous Gar the Texan Nerd. "Well, it was more of a camp," I replied, equally incredulous that Gar the Texan Nerd did not know this.

Gar the Texan Nerd explained this lack of historical knowledge with the fact that in Texas the football coaches teach history. That explanation sort of made sense at the time.

When I first moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex zone I was perplexed regarding how garbage was disposed of. As in what was the waste management methodology? I was curious about this because I came from a small valley in Washington, with a population of around 100,000, where waste management was a HUGE issue. And now I was in a metro zone with a population about the size of the entire state of Washington and I heard nary a peep about waste management.

During my first year in Texas I asked many locals about local waste management. Their answers were usually a variation of a garbage truck picks up the garbage. Where the garbage went in those trucks seemed to be a universal mystery. I soon gave up my quest for an answer to this question.

Switching the subject from garbage to the Trinity River. Just realized, typing that, that this is not a very big subject switch, since during my years in Texas I have learned that the Trinity River is part of the local waste management method, particular when in flood mode, when it becomes a fast flowing ribbon of litter.

A few weeks ago I asked Elsie Hotpepper from whence the Trinity River flowed. With no mountain ranges within 100s of miles, no snow capped mountains melting and leaking water into a valley, one day it occurred to me to wonder where the Trinity River came from.

And then yesterday I remembered to just Google for the information to find out....

The Trinity River is 710 miles long, flowing only in the state of Texas. The Trinity River's headwaters are in far North Texas, just a few miles south of the Red River, beginning to flow from bluffs that separate the Trinity's headwaters from the Red River.

The Trinity River has 5 branches that make up the Trinity tree, the Clear Fork, West Fork, Elm Fork, East Fork and the North Wedge.

I've never heard of a river wedge before.

The West Fork starts flowing in Archer County, flowing southeast through the Lake Bridgeport and Lake Eagle Mountain reservoirs, then entering Fort Worth through Lake Worth to meet up with the Clear Fork at the location in the picture above.

The Clear Fork starts flowing north of Weatherford, flowing southeastward through the Lake Weatherford and Benbrook Lake reservoirs before it joins up with the West Fork.

The Elm Fork flows south from the Gainesville zone, meeting up with the combined forces of the West and Clear Forks in Dallas.

The East Fork starts flowing near McKinney, joining up with the Trinity River a bit southeast of Dallas.

I have not been able to find out where the North Wedge starts flowing or where it joins the rest of the joined forks.

After all the forks and wedges join forces the Trinity River flows southeast from Dallas across a floodplain before flowing into the Piney Woods Region of Texas, flowing south til it eventually empties into Trinity Bay, which is part of Galveston Bay in the Gulf of Mexico.

I, and I am sure the Lawn Whisperer, also, was pleased to see, today, that Tandy Creek is no longer being flash flooded by a broken Fort Worth Water Main.

And that Tandy Falls is no longer roaring and has returned to being Dry Tandy Falls.

Yesterday the water that was flash flooding was quite clear, like water flowing in a creek in a pristine mountain zone. Today the water that remained was a murky shade of bluish gray.

I was surprised today to discover, just slightly south of Tandy Falls, on the Tandy Highway, another Tandy Tire. This one is not a GIANT tire. It is more of a regular size. This tire was mated with what I assume is fiberglass from the inner part of the tire.

I am very disappointed that I won't be going to any celebration of this year's Texas Rangers almost championship season.

The Texas Rangers told Arlington city officials that they preferred there not to be a public event this year. Last year thousands of fans showed up for a part outside the Ballpark in Arlington. I was not among the thousands. I don't think I was invited.

Changing the subject from not getting invited to parties to the temperature.

It is warmer this morning than yesterday morning at 44 degrees. I went swimming twice yesterday, once in the early morning when it appeared there was frost on the roofs. And then again after I got back from the Tandy Hills when it was in the 60s with no frost on the roofs.

I have not yet decided if I am going swimming this last Sunday morning of October.

It has been 3 years since I have been back to Washington. This is the longest I have gone without returning to Washington since I moved to Texas. I have pretty much recovered from the well documented trauma I suffered during my month long stay in Washington from July 20 til August 20 of 2008. The traumatizers were brought to justice, which is as it should be in a perfect world where scoundrels eventually pay a price for their scoundrelizing.

Speaking even more about the Pacific Northwest, today I realized it is over a quarter century since Vancouver's Expo '86 closed.

On my way to the Tandy Hills today, a location I had not been to for several days, I came upon a road construction detour on Meadowbrook Drive. The detour pointed me to take a left on to Sargent Street.

On the road ahead of me I saw water. By the time I got to the next detour sign, telling me to take a right to head back to Meadowbrook, I was seeing a lot of water.

As in a flood of water was rushing down the road. A Fort Worth water crew appeared to be working near the McDonald's on Lancaster and Sargent. I don't know if that was from whence the gusher flooded.

As I continued on to View Street, to park to hike the Tandy Hills, I saw many scenes of water backing up. In one house's driveway the water was so deep I don't know if it was possible to get to the car parked in the driveway.

I got to my parking location on View Street and proceeded to walk in to the Natural Area on the main trail that runs from View Street. For today's hiking I'd planned to walk to the end of the entry trail, then head down the hill to Tandy Falls, cross the falls, then walk Tandy Highway and take the right turn that heads back up the hills.

Well.

I could not get across Tandy Falls today. I'd never seen so much water roaring over the falls. Usually I am at this location days after a rain, with the falls greatly diminished.

So, I took some pictures and video and heading back up the trail I had just come down. I decided my flood altered route would take me back to the Tandy Highway from another direction, to see how bad Tandy Creek was flooding across the Tandy Highway.

That particular creek crossing is where the GIANT Tandy Tire #1 currently rests. As you can see in the above picture and the below video, today's flood has not move the Tandy Tire or the baseball cap that sits upon it.

Fort Worth's Lawn Whisperer must be in a very foul mood this Saturday what with all the water being wasted today, being flushed through the Tandy Hills. How many Barnett Shale Natural Gas wells could have been fracked with the water being wasted today? Appalling.

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at the bright morning of the last Saturday of the 10th month of 2011 you can not tell that it is only 38 degrees out there in the outer world in my vicinity.

I think I will try the shock therapy that results from getting in the cool turquoise water you see in the pool.

Shock therapy might break me free of the deep despair I'm feeling this morning upon learning that, once again, the Texas Rangers did not win the World Series.

I actually watched a couple innings of the final game of the World Series last night. I believe this was the first time I've watched baseball on TV since 1995, or whatever the year was that the Seattle Mariners got into the playoffs for the first time.

I was quite surprised at how greatly improved TV technology covering a baseball game is over the last time I saw baseball on TV. It made baseball much more watchable, to me, than it has ever been. Your eyes literally follow the ball at times. Extreme closeups made it real clear if someone's foot hit the base before the ball hit its mark.

I guess I am destined to never live where a baseball team wins the World Series. Maybe the Dallas Cowboys will win the Super Bowl this coming February.

Today I went to Village Creek Natural Historical Area and had myself a walk.

This Little Guy Was Hollering "Grandpa I Caught One."

When I reached the Village Creek Blue Bayou I came upon a Norman Rockwellan scene of a grandma and grandpa with a pair of grandkids, fishing in the bayou. Later I came upon them again, in the scene above, having taking their fishing operation out of the bayou, directly to Village Creek, fishing from the dam/bridge.

Earlier today I did not know if the final World Series games was tonight or not. I know now it is tonight.

I also now know that if the Texas Rangers win, no matter how late that win might happen, the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex zone Academy Sports stores will be re-opening so that thousands of rabid baseball fans can buy Texas Rangers World Series memorabilia.

I assume this winning World Series memorabilia will be baseball caps and t-shirts. And maybe bumper stickers? Who knows? What I do know for certain is I don't know where an Academy Sports store is, so I won't be rushing to one if the Rangers win the World Series.

Which I'm sure they will.

I may go to the celebration part that will likely take place at the Ballpark in Arlington, which is only a few miles east of my abode. I am almost 100% I have never been to a World Series winning celebration before.

Looking out my primary viewing portal on the world this last Friday of October it appears to be very very dark.

Being very very dark does not match my current Sammy Sunshine mood of feeling very very bright.

Even the sad news, this morning, that last night the Texas Rangers did not beat St. Louis in Game 6 of the World Series did not dampen my Sammy Sunshine mood.

If only those Texas Ranger had managed to score 2 more runs we'd be having ourselves a party tonight, maybe, in Arlington.

I don't know if the final game of the World Series is tonight, or not. I did not read too deep into the article about the World Series. I think maybe all I noticed was the headline that told me the Rangers lost.

Changing the subject from baseball to yesterday's BIG storm.

It was a dud. Only a few drops of water fell in my location. It was windy and cloudy all day and looked like at any moment a downpour might pour down. But, it never did.

Changing the subject from the weather to something else.

This morning when I logged into my Blogger account I was surprised to see that my blog post count was 3,999. Which makes this blog post you are reading right now number 4,000.

I think I'll go for my first really cold swim of the Fall now. I'll let you know how that works out.

Earlier this month, October 5 to be precise, my favorite tipster named Beale sent me a composite photo he had made of pictures he'd taken of Tim Love's new Woodshed restaurant and remodeling done recently to J.D. Granger's house.

I was told the reason J.D. Granger bailed on appearing at October 12's Trinity River Vision Discussion Forum, at Fort Worth's Botanic Garden, was because he did not like pictures of his house showing up on the Internet, and he did not want to answer questions about his house's remodeling's resemblance to Tim Love's Woodshed.

Now, when I heard this I thought this to be highly unlikely as the reason J.D. bailed. Because, if it were, how was it that this information as to J.D.s reason for bailing was attained?

Well, I have heard from Beale again.

Today Beale is telling me that the similarities between the J.D. house and the TRWD Annex near Northside Drive are even more striking than the resemblance to Tim Love's Woodshed. What can we conclude from this? I really don't know.

Beale also told me that the Woodshed cost $1.2 million and that currently three entities, (Tim Love, Tarrant Regional Water District and Trinity River Vision Authority) are at odds over something, which is why the Woodshed sits on the bank of the Trinity River, unopened.

The most interesting thing, to me, that Beale told me today, has nothing to do with J.D. Granger, the Trinity River Vision or Tim Love's Woodshed.

I was unable to confirm this via Google searching, but Beale says that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy has actually been in the Trinity River. Not on one of J.D. Granger's Rockin' the River Inner Tube Happy Hour Floats, but by other means.

Beale says a few years ago Bud Kennedy was driving on an icy road, lost control and ended up in the Trinity River. His girlfriend, at the time, a woman who must have had superhuman strength, somehow managed to pull super hefty Bud Kennedy from his car and get him safely to dry land.

Beale tells me that his source for the TRWD/TRVA info thinks the Attorney General of Texas should be persuaded to look into these governmental entities' business practices because the "Woodshed deal stinks.As does the rest of the TRV debacle."

Those of you who haven't been paying attention, TRV are the initials for Trinity River Vision, also known as Trinity River Vision Boondoggle (TRVB), a vision that has already seen the world's premiere wakeboarding lake being a world class attraction.

In the picture you are looking at the backside of Riscky's Steakhouse and the Love Shack and a couple other backsides, like maybe the White Elephant Saloon, who's frontsides face Exchange Avenue in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

The picture was taken in a location called Saunders Park. I have long been perplexed by Saunders Park.

Why have I been perplexed?

Well, it appears a lot of effort went into building Saunders Park, enhancing Marine Creek. But very few people who visit the Fort Worth Stockyards see Saunders Park.

And yesterday I saw that the sign on Exchange Avenue that directed visitors down the alley that leads to Saunders Park no longer exists.

The Snake I've Seen In Texas I Saw At This Location

I've long thought the alley that leads to Saunders Park was really tacky, what with garbage bins filled with restaurant refuge aromatically lining the way to the park.

The only Fort Worth Stockyards enterprise that seems to embrace and make use of Saunders Park is Tim Love's Lonesome Dove Bistro, which has a patio overlooking the park.

I think I recollect reading Tim Love quoted after he bought the White Elephant Saloon, or maybe after he opened the Love Shack, that he wanted to open up those entities to Saunders Park.

But that has not happened. I would imagine that would be an expensive remodeling undertaking.

If I remember right, and I probably don't, I discovered Saunders Park via riding my bike on the Trinity Trail and then exiting the Trinity Trail to another trail that led me into Saunders Park.

Looking South At Marine Creek In Saunders Park

The paved trail that runs beside the canal looking waterway that flows under the Stockyards continues on for miles along Marine Creek.

I've never been able to learn why Saunders Park was built or why the Fort Worth Stockyards appears to ignore its existence.

I Googled to see if I could find any info regarding this perplexation and was surprised to learn that when you Google "Saunders Park Fort Worth" my Fort Worth Stockyards webpage is in the #1 spot.

Not remembering I had already blogged about being perplexed by Saunders Park is the latest sad sign that my memory is failing. The pictures that I took for the previous time I blogged about Saunders Park appear to be better than the ones I took yesterday.

Looking skyward, through the bars that fence me in, at storm clouds blowing in from St. Louis, after causing the cancellation of last night's World Series game, on this last Thursday of the 10th month of 2011.

It is only 54 degrees in the outer world in my location. And very windy.

I am not going to brave the elements by going swimming this morning.

Changing the subject from swimming to being hungry.

The past couple weeks there has been this little girl and even littler boy in my neighborhood who have repeatedly asked me if I'd like to buy some chocolate. I always decline the offer. There are a lot of little kids in my neighborhood. This pair are the only ones hawking chocolate.

Then yesterday in the early evening I returned from foraging for food at Wal-Mart. As I walked away from my vehicle the little girl approached me. Again. I figured I was about to be asked if I wanted chocolate. Again.

But, this time the little girl asked if those were chips she saw in one of my grocery bags. No, there are no chips in there, I told her.

I then asked if she was hungry. With a pitiful look on her face she said yes.

I had no instant edibles in any of the bags that I could give her. I felt real bad about this.

Weeks ago I was sort of shocked to read in what passes for a newspaper in these parts that 25% of Tarrant County kids are not adequately nutrified. As in hungry.

How can that many kids be hungry? Are food stamps no longer easy to get? Next time I'm at ALDI I'm going to get a supply of little chip bags. I don't want a repeat of yesterday's pitifulness.

On a non-starvation food related note. I was pleased to read this morning in what passes for a newspaper in these parts that Trader Joe's is going to be opening a store in Fort Worth. Those of you who don't know Trader Joe's I can tell you it is a good thing, sort of a discount gourmet food store.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Today is Wednesday. The middle of the week. It is not tourist season. And yet, today, there were a large number of tourists in the Fort Worth Stockyards, lining up to watch the 11:30 am running of the Fort Worth Herd down Exchange Avenue.

A lot of Germans have a fascination with the American West. If you go to the Grand Canyon, or any of Utah's National Parks, you run in to a lot of Germans. It can be vaguely annoying. I've had an incident, or two, with a German, or two, in an American National Park.

Today I ran into a lot of Germans visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards. I had no annoying incidents with any Germans today. One thing I did notice was anytime I heard a group speaking German the group was always all slim and trim. And another thing I noticed was when I heard a group speaking American the group always had a majority of the people being Balloon People. It's distressing.

Fort Worth's Sister Cities

Since my arrival in Texas, late in the last century, I've made note of a lot of improvements to Fort Worth's top tourist attraction. There are still things I would fix if I had magic wand powers.

Today I came across several new additions.

Like in front of the Visitor's Center there is now a sign listing all the towns with which Fort Worth shares Sister Citydom.

Including Trier, Germany.

The new thing I came upon today that I liked the best was in front of the Hyatt Place hotel. A statue of Quanah Parker, along with a historical marker type sign, telling the Quanah Parker story.

On the ground, next to the statue of Quanah Parker was another thing that impressed me. A plaque.

Jim Lane? Quanah Parker?

Quanah Parker being the son of two cultures is the theme of this memorial.

I like the part of the plaque that says "BRAD PATTERSON, DOUG HARMAN, CHRIS PARKAS, EDDIE SANDOVAL, AND BEN TAHMAHKERA, THREE ANGLOS, ONE APACHE, ONE COMANCHE - TOGETHER FOR THE NUMUNU, ("The People").

Did Jake, Janet and Jim Lane donate this memorial? If so, this has Jim Lane right on the verge of being my favorite Fort Worth politician.

Miss Molly's Bawdy House

Miss Molly's seemed to be a new addition to the Fort Worth Stockyards. Maybe she has always been there, with me not noticing. Miss Molly's is on Exchange Avenue in the west end of the Stockyards. Miss Molly's sign invites you upstairs to view an authentic boarding house and former Bawdy House. Viewing a former Bawdy House is something I don't think I have ever done before.

Years ago, back when I first started my Eyes on Texas website, I wandered the Fort Worth Stockyards, looking for webpage material. At that point in time I saw something that struck me as being funny. That being several of the Fort Worth Stockyards establishments proudly advertising that they had indoor plumbing.

The "Indoor Plumbing" information was verbalized in various ways. Like above, in the only example still remaining, 10 years later, the Cadillac Saloon is still featuring "Indoor Restrooms" both on the side of their building and via a sign painted on a window.

If I remember right I've mentioned Booger Red's Saloon a time or two. Possibly in relation to Elsie Hotpepper liking to go there to sit on a saddle sipping Buffalo Butt Beer. The Booger Red's Saloon sign is blocking the view of the iconic Fort Worth Stockyards sign.

The Texas Rangers may win the World Series anytime soon. For all I know that may happen tonight.

Several of the Fort Worth Stockyard's enterprises had Texas Rangers World Series themes going on in various ways. Above, Riscky's Barbecue sign welcomes fans to the Stockyards, telling fans that apparently the Rangers are in it to win it because great times are waiting with World Series 2011.

I left Riscky's and headed to the actual Fort Worth Stockyards. A location few go to.

The Real Fort Worth Stockyards

You are looking south across the cattle pens of the Fort Worth Stockyards, with the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth a few miles distant. In the main touristy part of the Stockyards you will find no signage directing you to the actual Stockyards.

A boardwalk runs across the top of the Stockyards, taking you from the back of the Cowtown Coliseum to the back of Billy Bob's Texas.

It is a bit of a maze to get to the turnstile that takes you to the Stockyard's boardwalk. Knowing how to get into the tourist part of the Stockyards via the Stockyard's boardwalk was of great benefit to me back in 2008. Hillary Clinton was in town, campaigning in the Presidential Primary. Thousands of people were lined up to get through security to get into the stands to see Hillary.

Alternative ways to Exchange Avenue were blocked by security. My final attempt was accessing the Stockyard's boardwalk behind Billy Bob's. My first surprise was to find that entry gate open. So, we crossed the boardwalk and exited through the turnstile. I expected to run into a security block. Instead I found myself inside the secured zone. A few steps later I was right at the point where people were being admitted into the stands, having to go through an airport like security check. A minute or two later I found myself sitting in the bleachers, waiting for Hillary.

I got my first look at the completed Cowtown Wakeboard Park today on my way back to my abode from the Stockyards.

I believe this is the first thing that has anything to do with the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle to have been completed and fully functioning.

To get to the Cowtown Wakeboard Park you exit Northside Drive to a road that leads to a parking lot that overlooks the pond.

No one was wakeboarding today. I don't know why. I had myself a perfectly pleasant swim this morning.

There was one guy high above the water, doing something on that metal arm you see in the picture. There is a network of wires that surround the pond, making up the mechanism that propels the wakeboarders through the water. I assume.

The Cowtown Wakeboard Park has an unfinished look to it. No landscaping. Many of the structures have a temporary/cheap look to them. There is one building. I assume it must be a restroom or maybe a changing room. Or maybe where you buy your wakeboarding ticket.

No Swimming If You Fall Off Your Wakeboard

My reaction to seeing this was if this is indicative of what the quality level is going to be with the other stuff the Trinity River Vision is seeing, well, it will not be a good thing to look at.

There is a "NO SWIMMING NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY" sign visible from the Cowtown Wakeboard Park's parking lot.

What are you supposed to do if you fall off your wakeboard if you are not allowed to swim? Very perplexing.

On that Totally Tacky Texas webpage I included the New Isis Theater among things I found tacky in Texas.

Then on June 7, 2007 a guy named Robert emailed me with the following...

Dear Durango Texas,

As an FYI - The New Isis Theater is currently in the architectural phase of renovation. This will probably take 3-4 months and the renovation approximately 14-16 months. Hopefully we can achieve a look which will remove us from your expertly crafted list of Stockyard buildings in need of repair. You could be very helpful in this process by informing your web viewers that the original seats from the inside of the theater are available for those who would like to purchase a piece of history. These will need to be replaced because of they are only 16 1/2 inches wide compared to modern theater seats at 21". (a testament to the decline of our culinary tastes over the last 70+ years.)

Regards,RobertThe New Isis Theater

Robert and I exchanged several emails. It was clear to me that Robert really was hoping to revive the New Isis Theater. But there were a lot of hurdles to jump over.

Apparently those hurdles proved to be too much, because the New Isis Theater, on October 26, 2011, looks as forlorn and forsaken as the first time I saw it way back in the last century.

As you can sort of tell looking through the bars of my patio prison cell I am up well before the arrival of the sun on this last Wednesday of the 10th month of 2011.

The outer world in my location is currently heated to a relatively balmy 66, heading to a predicted high today of 81.

Elsie Hotpepper has been sending me emails written in some sort of cryptic code that I am not able do decipher. It may be Navajo code talk for all I know. But, I am almost 100% certain Elsie Hotpepper is not Native American.

I can't remember the last time I've been to the Fort Worth Stockyards. Was it the time I went there with the Queen of Wink and Princess Annie after the CARO protest at the courthouse in downtown Fort Worth? Or was it when I went saloon hopping with the aforementioned Elsie Hotpepper, spending too many hours on the saddles in Booger Red's Saloon sipping Buffalo Butt Beer?

I really tire of my bad memory. But, I will try and remember to go to the Stockyards today. But, before that I am going swimming to cool off. As in right now before the sun lights up the place.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Today on the Tandy Hills I came upon a patch of freshly sprouted light purple wildflowers that had sprouted since I was at the same location this past Saturday.

It seems as if the long drought is causing some wildflowers to get excited when a little rain falls, causing them to go into sprouting mode.

I somehow thought the time of the year had come to an end where I'd be running my air-conditioner. I thought wrong.

It is currently 84 degrees in the outer world in my location.

Swimming was very pleasant this morning. It should also be very pleasant tomorrow morning. And then a lot less pleasant on Thursday morning with a big drop in temperature, with predicted heavy rain. I heard mention made on the radio of big incoming storms on Thursday, but no mention was made of these storms being thunderstorms. I suppose on this parched part of the planet that goes without saying.

I am almost 100% certain I will not be on the Tandy Hills tomorrow in the noon time frame. I am currently scheduled to be at the Fort Worth Stockyards tomorrow.

There is no fog clouding the view from my primary viewing portal on the outer world on this final Tuesday of the 10th month of 2011.

No fog and the outer world is currently being heated to a relatively balmy 61 at my location on this parched part of the planet.

I have never aboded in a location only a few miles from where a World Series is being played. Apparently last night the Texas Ranger won again, taking a 3 to 2 lead in the series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

I'm guessing the World Series returns to St. Louis now for the final game or games. If the Texas Rangers win the series, and I am almost certain they will, where will the requisite celebration parade take place? Arlington really does not have much of a downtown. The big town in the county the Rangers play in is Fort Worth. Will the parade take place in Fort Worth?

Or will the celebration parade take place in the Big City of the D/FW Metroplex? That would be Dallas.

Maybe the Texas Rangers could just parade around the parking lots that surround the Ballpark in Arlington and Cowboys Stadium.

I think I will go swimming now and further ponder this perplexing conundrum. Or not.

This morning I found myself being perplexed by Betty Jo Bouvier and her assertion that decades ago I had allegedly been mean to a pregnant goat. I have absolutely no recollection of ever being in the presence of a pregnant goat. I would think I would remember such a thing.

Betty Jo Bouvier has a history of remembering things I don't remember. Such as Betty Jo's claim that she, me and one of the future stars of LOST, went skinnydipping at Bay View State Park when we were teenagers. I may have forgotten about being mean to a pregnant goat, but I'm almost totally certain I would remember skinnydipping with Betty Jo Bouvier and Honey Lulu.

Speaking of strange behavior. Yesterday a concerned bystander was discussing Gar the Texan Nerd's strange behavior with me. Gar the Texan Nerd is currently on his 8th or 9th Caribbean cruise of the year. Gar the Texan Nerd now bills himself as a "Professional Cruiser." I don't know how well this pays.

I explained to the concerned bystander that Gar the Texan had recently been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. When I was told about this diagnoses it was an aha moment for me, as in 'aha,' that explains the strange behavior of Gar the Texan Nerd.

Anyway, having a fun experience, like going on a cruise, and then mindlessly repeating the experience over and over again is a classic Asperger's type thing.

This morning this got me thinking if Gar the Texan Nerd going on a cruise 9 times in one year is an Asperger's Syndrome symptom, then do I have Asperger's too, what with my almost daily swimming and walking or hiking?

It gives me pause to wonder.

There was a time when I was younger, in my 20s, maybe early 30s, when I'd drive down to Southern California once a year, either in the spring or fall. Always going to Disneyland as part of the trip to Southern California. I think if, back then, I found myself driving to Southern California and Disneyland 8 or 9 times a year I would have been concerned I was going nuts. I don't think Asperger's Syndrome had been invented yet, by that point in time.

Nurse Martha had this "You had me at the proper use of You're" graphic on Facebook this morning. I thought it was amusing.

Months ago, also on Facebook, Miss Connie liked, "THEY'RE going THERE with THEIR friends. It's called grammar, use it."

I know of one grammar challenged person who's chronic improper use of "your" identifies her like a fingerprint when she tries to do some of her evildoing anonymously.

To accidentally type "your" when you mean "you're" is an accident most everyone has had a time or two. To do this chronically is another thing. It's indicative of either a bad education, not being very bright, not caring, being lazy or a combo of any number of reasons.

Speaking of a time or "two" "to" do this "too", that's another one that some seem to have trouble with. Two, to and two.

Another pet peeve of mine in this area is misspelling. I know of one particularly blogger who, in addition to chronically making the above mentioned grammar errors, constantly misspells. The Blogger program has a built in spell checker. How does someone not notice a word getting redflagged as misspelled, which just happened with redflagged, which apparently I have misspelled. The spell checker wants to me change redflagged to either red flagged or red-flagged.

The chronic misspeller to whom I've referenced doesn't even fix misspelled words that are not even words. Like this particular challenged person will type "ment" when she means "meant" and not notice that "ment" has been red-flagged. Or care.

The way karma works I have likely made some embarrassing grammar or spelling area in this particular blogging. I'm sure someone will point it out to me if I have.

You can sort of see via the pre-dawn view from my secondary viewing portal on the outer world that this next to last Monday of the 10th month of 2011 is a foggy morning in Texas.

A dense fog always seems so odd to me at this location. I've always associated fog with being near large bodies of saltwater. The only saltwater near this parched part of the planet is fracking saltwater polluted by the Barnett Shale gas drillers.

Changing the subject from fog to baseball.

Well, North Texas slept a bit sounder last night, peacefully going to sleep knowing the Texas Rangers beat St. Louis in Game 4 of the World Series.

I had intended to go to the State Fair of Texas this year. In the abstract, before the fair started, this seemed like something I wanted to do. But, somehow from the day the fair opened, in September, til closing on Sunday, I did not make it to Dallas.

My right arm is back aching bad again. Because of that pain and the pain of trying to find my way to my swimming pool through a dense fog, I think I'll skip swimming this morning.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

At some point in time in the previous 12 hours rain soaked the parched parks in this part of the planet. This soaking made the Village Creek Natural Historical Area my area of choice, today, for my daily aerobic stimulation.

There has been a time or two I've thought to myself that it is a bit odd to call this location a "Natural Area."

The Tandy Hills Natural Area might have a thing or two that isn't all that natural, but not to the level of un-natural that exists in the Village Creek Natural Area.

Today, at the point where the paved trail starts at the west end of the Natural Area I noticed a new sign had been laminated on to the concrete. That makes for two un-natural elements, one being the paved concrete trail, the other being the laminated sign, added east of the already installed un-natural brass plaque, dedicated to those who helped bring about the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Apparently Arlington's Park Fans Are
Naturally Fun!

The laminated sign informs us that "Our Fans Are Naturally Fun." And asks to be liked on Facebook. Apparently you can get a free app for your phone by aiming your phone at the free app symbol. My phone is not smart so this option was not available to me.

There were a lot of people enjoying the Natural Area today. I even saw a rare sighting of a family picnicking deep inside the Natural Historical Area. We are in that rare sweet spot, temperature-wise, where North Texans will venture outdoors for some park fun.

About a mile from the parking lot I came upon the strange scene you see below. A camouflage jacket, a shovel and a bucket.

What Sort Of Nut Hauls A Bucket & Shovel Into
A Natural Area?

Why would someone haul a shovel and bucket so deep into this Natural Historical Area I wondered to myself? There was nothing in the bucket.

I continued walking. About a half mile later I came upon a guy in camouflage pants that matched the jacket. He also had a matching camouflage hat in the Aussie Outback style, that always looks a bit goofy to me.

I asked the camouflage guy if that was his jacket, bucket and shovel that I came across back a half mile. He indicated it was. I asked what he was digging for. He told me he was hoping to dig up some Sycamore tree roots. I asked why. He said Sycamore trees look cool and he wanted one in his yard. I wished the camouflage guy good luck and then hurried away from him.

Did this guy not realize he was in a park? A Natural Area type park? You don't go digging in a park, let alone a Natural Area that is very Historical.

I am up after the sun on this next to last Sunday of the 10th month of 2011.

As you can see looking skyward through the bars of my patio prison cell the sky is clear and blue. Again.

However, I can tell that rain fell on the outer world last night due to the fact that there is extreme wetness out there.

Apparently the rain fell after, or not in amounts sufficient to thwart last night's World Series game at the Ballpark in Arlington. The game took place with Texas losing again in a game with an awful lot of hits and runs.

The St. Louis Cardinals had 15 hits and 15 runs. While the Texas Rangers also had 15 hits, but only 7 runs. Clearly Texas needs to increase their hit to run conversion rate.

Due to last night's precipitation there will be no Tandy Hills hill hiking today.

It is 61 degrees in the outer world, right now, in my location. So there will be swimming this morning, as in right now.

Is garnet another way of saying "red?" I have no idea. I suppose I could look it up.

Town Talkers In Texas Rangers Championship T-Shirts

After surveying the Prickly Pear Cactus crop it was on to Town Talk and Super Wal-Mart, with the Wal-Mart made necessary due to the need for a bread product.

I was not long in to Town Talk when I noticed that all the people who work at Town Talk were in blue Texas Rangers Championship t-shirts.

Being a transplant I'm thinking I am not quite getting caught up in the excitement the locals seems to be experiencing regarding the World Series coming to town.

This World Series excitement thing was further in evidence at the Beach Street Wal-Mart. The greeter at one door was dressed like a Roaring 20s Flapper. The greeter at the other door was dressed like a princess. The store was busy, real busy, the day before Thanksgiving level of busy.

As I walked past the deli I saw a big sign advertising a Game Day Special of 100 pieces of fried chicken for $68.00. Usually it is 8 pieces for $5.88. I am math challenged so it is beyond my calculating ability to determine if it is a bargain to get 100 pieces of fried chicken for $68.00.

When the Super Bowl came to town I hauled myself down to the Cowboys Stadium zone a couple times to check out the madness. I do not feel similarly drawn to haul myself down to the Ballpark in Arlington zone to check out whatever madness may be going on there.

With about 3 and a half hours to go before the start of the 3rd game of the 2011 World Series, clouds have begun to blow in. Those clouds would seem to need to greatly increase if they have any hope of raining out tonight's game.

You're looking out my primary viewing portal on the world at the barely post-dawn view of the last Saturday of the 10th month of 2011.

The sky is currently clear of clouds in my location.

Apparently this currently clear sky will start to fill with clouds as Saturday progresses. By 7pm, at the start of tonight's World Series game at the Ballpark in Arlington, the weather predictors are predicting a 50% chance of rain falling on the field.

I did not get a ticket to tonight's World Series game. All that left were standing room only non-seats. While those non-seats were a bargain at something like $380 I did not think I could stand for several hours, not in my delicate condition.

I have not gone swimming for 2 or 3 mornings in a row. My aching elbow joint problem seems to have greatly abated. Was this caused pain being caused by swimming? I don't know. But, I may find out this morning when I return to the pool in a few minutes.

Friday, October 21, 2011

If I remember right I've referenced the morning view through the bars of my patio prison cell a time or two. I do not recollect ever referencing the afternoon view from my patio prison cell.

That is what you are looking at in the picture. The Friday afternoon view through the bars of my patio prison cell.

As you can see, it is a bit brighter than the morning view.

And warmer. Currently it is 80 degrees out there, somewhere between 5 and 6pm.

I was talking to Betty Jo Bouvier a few minutes ago about the salubrious benefits of herbal teas. This led me to mentioning where one might find Kava Kava tea. In my location I can find Kava Kava at Sprouts Farmers Market and Central Market.

Betty Jo Bouvier is in Washington. That is an American state in the far northwest corner of the country. Washington has no Sprouts Farmers Market. Until this afternoon I thought Washington did have a Central Market.

Well, actually, Washington does have a Central Market. It is just not the Texas version.

I remember when first I heard that a Central Market had opened in Mill Creek, in Washington, thinking it odd that Central Market would be expanding to Washington when they have only recently expanded from Austin to the Dallas/Fort Worth zone.

I had heard reports from Washingtonians about the Mill Creek Central Market. What a great grocery store it was. When I asked if they'd gone to Burger and Bock this was met with confusion. That should have been a clue to me.

So, today, whilst conversing with Betty Jo, about tea, I looked up Central Market Mill Creek. Then went to their website. Surprisingly low quality level website for a Central Market operation, I thought to myself. It did not take much looking at this website to realize the Central Market in Mill Creek has nothing to do with the Austin based Central Market, except for sharing a name.

I had not planned on returning to the Tandy Hills today. It seems like I was just there yesterday.

But extremely pleasant temperatures and an anonymous comment from someone calling him or herself :"Anonymous" had me deciding to go to the Tandy Hills today.

Anonymous made a comment to a blogging yesterday where I mentioned another GIANT Tire had appeared on the Tandy Hills.

This is what Anonymous had to say...

I'm pretty sure it is the same tire as Tire Number One, and just appears to be Tire Number Two by virtue of its having (by itself or with help) moved a bit northwest (a direction with which you are obviously familiar). It has been lollygagging in its new spot for a while now.

And while we are in Tandy Hills, how come no pictures of the monument taking shape at the junction where the North Trail Up The Hill and South Trail Up The Hill merge into The Trail Up The Hill? The little horse on wheels has been joined by golf balls, an electric cable insulator, and a really large hollowed-out bone. If you've been taking the New Trail Up The Hill Recently Hewn By City Workers, then you would miss the newest art installation, thus explaining the lack of pictures.

(Which is fine by me since encouraging artists by noticing what they do can lead to unpredictable results, not all of which are pleasant.)

I was 100% certain I'd seen two GIANT Tires yesterday, so I felt compelled to confirm the existence of two GIANT Tandy Tires with photo documentation. And to check out the new, apparently ever growing, Tandy Hills Shrine. That is the new shrine above. The view from the shrine is looking west at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

The most interesting, or disturbing, part of the new Tandy Shrine is one of the pieces Anonymous mentioned, that being the "really large hollowed-out bone." Is it a Cow bone? Dog bone? Human bone?

Giant Tandy Tire #1 With Baseball Cap

Above is the original GIANT Tandy Tire in its resting place in a dry Tandy Creek bed. This particular GIANT Tandy Tire is still wearing the baseball cap I pointed out a couple days ago. Now let's move on to GIANT Tandy Tire #2.

Giant Tandy Tire #2 Without Baseball Cap

As you can see, this GIANT Tire is not resting in a dry creek bed. It is laying on the ground near one of the odd green and white posts that appeared within the past year or two. Please make note of the tire tracks on the Tandy Highway. Those tire tracks were not there yesterday. I decided to follow the tracks to see where they led, since that sign that you saw by the new Tandy Shrine clearly says "NO MOTORIZED VEHICLES."

Fort Worth Sewer Guy's Tandy Hills Transport Device

I headed south on the Tandy Highway, following the tire tracks. After a quarter mile, give or take a few feet, I heard voices. Then a white pickup truck could be seen through the brush.

I continued on my quest and soon saw what had been making the tracks on the Tandy Highway that led all the way to GIANT Tandy Tire #2. It is the Fort Worth Sewer guys back doing what ever it is they do every once in awhile on the Tandy Hills.

Changing the subject from Tires and Shrines to the temperature. It is surprisingly warm today. Almost 80 at the present point in time. I thought the hiking with minimalist outerwear days were over for the year. As I often am, I was wrong. I heard on the radio, though, on the way to the Tandy Hills, that a new cold front is scheduled to arrive in a few days. Possibly with the first freeze of the year? I don't know.